Apparatus for applying binding materials



Agril 30, 194%. D. c. DRILL ET AL AFPARATUS FOR APPLYING BINDING MATERIALS Original Filed July 5, 1935 ATTORNEY.,

Patented Apr. 30, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE arsaw;

Daniel 0. mm, Wabash, as Charles L. Whitenack, Elwood, Ind., an

ignors Wheaton, 111.,

d Jesse B. Gregory,

to American Book Wool Corporation, Wabash, Ind., a corporation oi Indiana Original application m, s, 1935, Serial No.

- 29,942. Divided and this application June 25, 1938, Serial No. 215,798. I

3 Claims. (c 49-1) In order that a more perfect understandi'ngof our invention may be had, a brief description of the methods usually followed. in manufacturing mineral wool batts will be given.

Mineral wool is made of woolrock, or slag, to

which a special fusing rock may be added. The

' raw material is mix 6. with coke in a -cupola orfurnace and heated to a temperature of, say,

approximately 3,000 E, at which the material becomes molten and is permitted to pour out in a continuous stream of, approximately one-half molten material into fibers.

inch'in diameter. This stream is subjectedto a blast of steam, of sufiicient'power to shred the into an adjacent blow chamber which is preferably provided with a movable base or conveyor. The length of the settling chamber is sufficient to permit the blast to leave the fibers in suspension, swirling in the heated vapors and gases .of the chamber, above the conveyor.

These fibers are inherently tacky and rapidly combine in myriads of loose, fiufly bunches which slowly settle on the moving base of the conveyor The blast is directed.

almost invariably prevents the proper function ing of any valvesl which may be used to regulate and control its fiow.

Another disadvantage found in using this method is that the binding material is not atomized before it falls upon the blast, and conse quently falls upon only one portion of the blast in such a manner that it does not become evenly distributed on the forming fibers. I

Heretofore, numerous other meth ds have been devised to achieve the even distribution necessary but, insofar as applicantsare aware, all methods leave much to be desired.

The chief object of our invention is to provide means whereby any suitable binding material may be evenly distributed on the surfaces of the individual fibers. before they become deposited on the base of the settling chamber.

Another object is to provide apparatus whereby two or more fluids may be so applied that a film to the proper production of mineral wool batts,

of'these or coating of binding material will be evenly precipitated, formed, or deposited on the surface of each individual fiber before it is incorporated into the batt.

A still further object is the provision of means whereby the binding materials may be discharged into the settling chamber under ideal conditions for distribution on the mineral wool fibers.-

, A further object is the. provision of apparatus whereby both the temperature and the rate of flow of. the binding material may be controlled as desired.

The full nature of our invention and its other objects and advantages will be, understood from the accompanying drawing and the following description and claims.

The drawing is a side elevational and partly sectional view of a cupola and a blow chamber tunity to combine in bunches, and best practice indicates that the binding material should be applied to the blast of steam and molten material before it enters the settling chamber.

The oldest and most widely used method is that of simply permitting the binding material to drop or pour directly upon the blast before it enters the settling chamber. This method, however, has numerous disadvantages, one of them being that the rate of flow of the material is not dependable when applied in this manner. One reason for this is that the character of'the binding material is such that it tends to stick to the in-. side walls of the pipe through which it flows and of a mineral wool plant having one of many embodiments of our. invention operatively associated therewith.

In carrying out our invention we make use of any suitable cupola I, blast means 2, and a blow chamber 3, which areoperatively associated together for the production of mineral wool batts.

The mineral wool is produced by melting wool rock, or slag, in the cupola l with coke or gas, and pouring the molten material in a stream 4 which is subjected to the action of a shredding steam blast 5 which issues from a nozzle 8 of the steam blast means 2.

The above described apparatus for producing the untreated mineral wool is, of course, old, the

entire novelty of our invention residing in our amaosr binding material substances before they pass through the blowers, as these substances atomize more readily when they are first mixed in a wet-heated gas. The steam also prevents the cementitious substances .trom drying in the hot products of combustion, and, to a certain 'extent. prevents their adhering to the conduits l and ii and the blowers l2-and ll.

The steam blast 5 carrying the molten shredded material and the atomized binding material, it

desired, may be shielded by a tubular guide means 33 which preferably extends substantially as shown into the blow chamber 3. This guide means not only restricts the admission of cool air into the blow chamber, but protects the operation from any molten particles which might otherwise strike and rebound from the rear wall 34 of the blow chamber, 3.

It will be observed, by referring to the accompanying drawing, that the pressure gauges II. and 32 are placed immediately above the blowers l2 and I3, where they can be readily observed by the cupola operator. These gauges indicate the amount of the steam or heated gas which is being mixed with the binding materials.

The rate of flow of the binding material substances is, of course, proportional to the speed of the pumps, which may be ascertained in any suitable manner, such as, for instance, by noting the position or the control means on the variable speed transmission (not shown) which is old in the art and requires no detailed description.

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and stream of newly formed fibers consisting of mineral materials shredded in a molten, condition by a fluid blast directed against a stream of said molten mineral materials, said organization including an adhesive supply system, a steam supply system, and a gaseous products of combustion supply system, all of said systems having at least one common discharge conduit.

' 2. An organization for first heating and thereafter applying liquid adhesive materials to a stream of newly formed fibers consisting of mineral material shredded in a molten condition by a fluid blast directed against a stream of said molten mineral materials, said organization including an adhesive supply system, a steam supply system, and a gaseous products 01 combustion supply system, all of said systems being provided with at least one common discharge conduit, said adhesive supply system including a plurality-of liquid adhesive reservoirs and pumping means operatively connected to said reservoirs and said common discharge conduit.

3. An organization for first heating and thereafter applying liquid adhesive materials to a stream 01 newly formed fibers consisting of mineral materials shredded in a'molten condition by a fiuid'blast directed against a stream of said molten mineral materials, said organization including an adhesive supply system, a steam supply system, and a gaseous products of combustion supply system, all of said systems being provided with at least two common discharge conduits, said adhesive supply system having a pinrality. of liquid adhesive reservoirs and pumping means connected to'said reservoirs and said discharge conduits.

, DANIEL C. DRILL.

CHARLES L. WHITENACK. JESSE H. GREGORY. 

